By The Brazen head, iconic itself, will it be torn down too? It makes me wonder about the pandemic and drinking though, like really think about how much have the off licence sales gone up since all the pubs have been closed?
I find it shameful that a country who has been recognised for being a nation of “drinkers”, that the pubs have been closed for so long. I am not a person who consumes alcohol and so my shock and horror perspective is not as one who wishes for the pub to be open so I can get a pint. I really am in shock of how many people’s livelihoods and family businesses have suffered due to the pandemic. It has been part of our country for years and years and years. Long before facebook or any social media, we, the Irish had ways of screwing up families and relationships way easier than and long before “relationship status” on facebook was ever introduced. Good old fashioned alcohol in pint after pint status was enough to cause a ton of break ups.
I feel for the families of the pub in Ireland. Thinking of how the plaque over the door read so proudly of how long the business had been running. Established 1800 and whatever, or 1906 for example, 1922 or 1938. Proudly these businesses had every right to be proud of a long family run business. Yes they have served up the dreaded alcohol which may very well have played a role in the suppression of a nation, but sure look, it is part of our culture. A nation of crazy lunatics who walk the streets with the top off, on a winter’s night full or the “black stuff”. We cannot have the world taken over by us Irish so best we keep a steady feeding of alcohol available. The role of the pub.
Perhaps a little more serious though, what of the pub and our traditions for St. Patrick’s day? I wrote late last year of how we would never rid our country of the virus if we did not keep up our traditions, esoecially those involved around a saint’s day. Our patron saint too, the shamrock will go “un~drowned” for another year. Can we say the corona virus is so deadly that we give up our age old traditions?
The irish people have not gone to the pub for over 1 year. 12 straight months. How would the stats read now? How many have actually given up alcohol because of this? Or, have the off licenses and the pandemic brought about a higher consumption of alcohol? Food for thought.
How about you? I recall before the pandemic the growing fad of a website group called “1 year – no beer”. Maybe you have heard or them. Has the pandemic made this group even bigger? Like have the Irish really began consuming less or has the pandemic lockdown made people more “stir crazy”, ya know like Jack Nicholson in The shinning.
How long before the tradition of going to the pub returns or will it ever come back like it used to be? I myself am not too much disturbed either way as I may frequent a pub but once or twice a year and usually only for a social event of some kind or other. I do however recognise that it has been an age old part of Irish culture and a large part of tradition within the country. I also recognise that many people have had their own private rituals built up around “the pint”. We must feel for those who have lost that piece of themselves through the pandemic, as I can only imagine that a “few cans” at home is in no way a fair substitute. Will the pub make a comeback?
Will you support your local pub when all this lockdown stuff comes to an end? Will you bitch and moan about the price of a pint? And with all the pubs that will go out of business forever, who will be crowned the oldest pub in Dublin or in Ireland anymore? Will it even matter? Will the pub become the chain stores, franchise businesses and be nothing more than “Olive Garden” (chain of pasta restaurants in the states). Makes one wonder alright.
How much has been really lost in the pandemic and how much more losing of traditions must Ireland endure?
Links below to my books page and some stats on alcohol consumption from a previous year. Feel free to comment, share the post. Cheers / Slainte.
A.McNallyauthor.com 
I loved the black stuff, but as most now know, I don’t drink at all now. Still, the pubs served a community function for males at least and I do wonder how home life has improved or suffered from the lack of external distractions during leisure times.
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